at the back of the north wind-第40节

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of　doing　odd　things。　　Indeed；　however　they　may　dissemble；　the　night

is　always　their　day。　　And　so　it　is　with　all　who　have　fairy　blood

in　them。



〃Why；　what　are　you　doing　there；　this　time　of　the　night；　mother？〃

said　the　prince；　for　that　was　the　kind　way　in　which　any　young　man

in　his　country　would　address　a　woman　who　was　much　older　than　himself。



〃Getting　your　supper　ready；　my　son；〃　she　answered。



〃Oh；　I　don't　want　any　supper；〃　said　the　prince。



〃Ah！　you've　seen　Daylight；〃　said　she。



〃I've　seen　a　princess　who　never　saw　it；〃　said　the　prince。



〃Do　you　like　her？〃　asked　the　fairy。



〃Oh！　don't　I？〃　said　the　prince。　　〃More　than　you　would　believe；　mother。〃



〃A　fairy　can　believe　anything　that　ever　was　or　ever　could　be；〃

said　the　old　woman。



〃Then　are　you　a　fairy？〃　asked　the　prince。



〃Yes；〃　said　she。



〃Then　what　do　you　do　for　things　not　to　believe？〃　asked　the　prince。



〃There's　plenty　of　themeverything　that　never　was　nor　ever　could　be。〃



〃Plenty；　I　grant　you；〃　said　the　prince。　　〃But　do　you　believe　there

could　be　a　princess　who　never　saw　the　daylight？　　Do　you　believe

that　now？〃



This　the　prince　said；　not　that　he　doubted　the　princess；

but　that　he　wanted　the　fairy　to　tell　him　more。　

She　was　too　old　a　fairy；　however；　to　be　caught　so　easily。



〃Of　all　people；　fairies　must　not　tell　secrets。　　Besides；　she's

a　princess。〃



〃Well；　I'll　tell　you　a　secret。　　I'm　a　prince。〃



〃I　know　that。〃



〃How　do　you　know　it？〃



〃By　the　curl　of　the　third　eyelash　on　your　left　eyelid。〃



〃Which　corner　do　you　count　from？〃



〃That's　a　secret。〃



〃Another　secret？　　Well；　at　least；　if　I　am　a　prince；　there　can

be　no　harm　in　telling　me　about　a　princess。〃



〃It's　just　the　princes　I　can't　tell。〃



〃There　ain't　any　more　of　themare　there？〃　said　the　prince。



〃What！　you　don't　think　you're　the　only　prince　in　the　world；

do　you？〃



〃Oh；　dear；　no！　not　at　all。　　But　I　know　there's　one　too　many　just

at　present；　except　the　princess〃



〃Yes；　yes；　that's　it；〃　said　the　fairy。



〃What's　it？〃　asked　the　prince。



But　he　could　get　nothing　more　out　of　the　fairy；　and　had　to　go

to　bed　unanswered；　which　was　something　of　a　trial。



Now　wicked　fairies　will　not　be　bound　by　the　law　which　the　good　fairies

obey；　and　this　always　seems　to　give　the　bad　the　advantage　over　the　good；

for　they　use　means　to　gain　their　ends　which　the　others　will　not。　

But　it　is　all　of　no　consequence；　for　what　they　do　never　succeeds；　nay；

in　the　end　it　brings　about　the　very　thing　they　are　trying　to　prevent。　

So　you　see　that　somehow；　for　all　their　cleverness；　wicked　fairies

are　dreadfully　stupid；　for；　although　from　the　beginning　of　the　world

they　have　really　helped　instead　of　thwarting　the　good　fairies；

not　one　of　them　is　a　bit　wiser　for　it。　　She　will　try　the　bad

thing　just　as　they　all　did　before　her；　and　succeeds　no　better　of　course。



The　prince　had　so　far　stolen　a　march　upon　the　swamp…fairy　that　she

did　not　know　he　was　in　the　neighbourhood　until　after　he　had　seen

the　princess　those　three　times。　　When　she　knew　it；　she　consoled

herself　by　thinking　that　the　princess　must　be　far　too　proud　and　too

modest　for　any　young　man　to　venture　even　to　speak　to　her　before　he

had　seen　her　six　times　at　least。　　But　there　was　even　less　danger

than　the　wicked　fairy　thought；　for；　however　much　the　princess

might　desire　to　be　set　free；　she　was　dreadfully　afraid　of　the

wrong　prince。　　Now；　however；　the　fairy　was　going　to　do　all　she　could。



She　so　contrived　it　by　her　deceitful　spells；　that　the　next　night

the　prince　could　not　by　any　endeavour　find　his　way　to　the　glade。　

It　would　take　me　too　long　to　tell　her　tricks。　　They　would

be　amusing　to　us；　who　know　that　they　could　not　do　any　harm；

but　they　were　something　other　than　amusing　to　the　poor　prince。　

He　wandered　about　the　forest　till　daylight；　and　then　fell　fast　asleep。　

The　same　thing　occurred　for　seven　following　days；　during　which　neither

could　he　find　the　good　fairy's　cottage。　　After　the　third　quarter

of　the　moon；　however；　the　bad　fairy　thought　she　might　be　at　ease

about　the　affair　for　a　fortnight　at　least；　for　there　was　no　chance

of　the　prince　wishing　to　kiss　the　princess　during　that　period。　

So　the　first　day　of　the　fourth　quarter　he　did　find　the　cottage；　and　the

next　day　he　found　the　glade。　　For　nearly　another　week　he　haunted　it。　

But　the　princess　never　came。　　I　have　little　doubt　she　was　on　the

farther　edge　of　it　some　part　of　every　night；　but　at　this　period　she

always　wore　black；　and；　there　being　little　or　no　light；　the　prince

never　saw　her。　　Nor　would　he　have　known　her　if　he　had　seen　her。　

How　could　he　have　taken　the　worn　decrepit　creature　she　was　now；

for　the　glorious　Princess　Daylight？



At　last；　one　night　when　there　was　no　moon　at　all；　he　ventured　near

the　house。　　There　he　heard　voices　talking；　although　it　was　past　midnight；


for　her　women　were　in　considerable　uneasiness；　because　the　one　whose

turn　it　was　to　watch　her　had　fallen　asleep；　and　had　not　seen　which

way　she　went；　and　this　was　a　night　when　she　would　probably　wander

very　far；　describing　a　circle　which　did　not　touch　the　open　glade

at　all；　but　stretched　away　from　the　back　of　the　house；　deep　into

that　side　of　the　foresta　part　of　which　the　prince　knew　nothing。　

When　he　understood　from　what　they　said　that　she　had　disappeared；

and　that　she　must　have　gone　somewhere　in　the　said　direction；

he　plunged　at　once　into　the　wood　to　see　if　he　could　find　her。　

For　hours　he　roamed　with　nothing　to　guide　him　but　the　vague　notion

of　a　circle　which　on　one　side　bordered　on　the　house；　for　so　much

had　he　picked　up　from　the　talk　he　had　overheard。



It　was　getting　towards　the　dawn；　but　as　yet　there　was　no　streak　of　light

in　the　sky；　when　he　came　to　a　great　birch…tree；　and　sat　down　weary

at　the　foot　of　it。　　While　he　satvery　miserable；　you　may　be　sure

full　of　fear　for　the　princess；　and　wondering　how　her　attendants

could　take　it　so　quietly；　he　bethought　himself　that　it　would　not

be　a　bad　plan　to　light　a　fire；　which；　if　she　were　anywhere　near；

would　attract　her。　　This　he　managed　with　a　tinder…box；　which　the

good　fairy　had　given　him。　　It　was　just　beginning　to　blaze　up；

when　he　heard　a　moan；　which　seemed　to　come　from　the　other　side　of

the　tree。　　He　sprung　to　his　feet；　but　his　heart　throbbed　so　that　he

had　to　lean　for　a　moment　against　the　tree　before　he　could　move。　

When　he　got　round；　there　lay　a　human　form　in　a　little　dark　heap

on　the　earth。　　There　was　light　enough　from　his　fire　to　show　that　it

was　not　the　princess。　　He　lifted　it　in　his　arms；　hardly　heavier

than　a　child；　and　carried　it　to　the　flame。　　The　countenance

was　that　of　an　old　woman；　but　it　had　a　fearfully　strange　look。　

A　black　hood　concealed　her　hair；　and　her　eyes　were　closed。　

He　laid　her　down　as　comfortably　as　he　could；　chafed　her　hands；

put　a　little　cordial　from　a　bottle；　also　the　gift　of　the　fairy；

into　her　mouth；　took　off　his　coat　and　wrapped　it　about　her；

and　in　short　did　the　best　he　could。　　In　a　little　while　she　opened

her　eyes　and　looked　at　himso　pitifully！　　The　tears　rose　and

flowed　from　her　grey　wrinkled　cheeks；　but　she　said　never　a　word。　

She　closed　her　eyes　again；　but　the　tears　kept　on　flowing；　and　her

whole　appearance　was　so　utterly　pitiful　that　the　prince　was　near

crying　too。　　He　begged　her　to　tell　him　what　was　the　matter；

promising　to　do　all　he　could　to　help　her；　but　still　she　did　not　speak。　

He　thought　she　was　dying；　and　took　her　in　his　arms　again　to　carry

her　to　the　princess's　house；　where　he　thought　the　good…natured

cook　might　he　able　to　do　something　for　her。　　When　he　lifted　her；

the　tears　flowed　yet　faster；　and　she　gave　such　a　sad　moan　that　it

went　to　his　very　heart。



〃Mother；　mother！〃　he　said。　　〃Poor　mother！〃　and　kissed　her　on

the　withered　lips。



She　started；　and　what　eyes　they　were　that　opened　upon　him！　

But　he　did　not　see　them；　for　it　was　still　very　dark；　and　he　had

enough　to　do　to　make　his　way　through　the　trees　towards　the　house。



Just　as　he　approached　the　door；　feeling　more　tired　than　he　could

have　imagined　possibleshe　was　such　a　little　thin　old　thing

she　began　to　move；　and　became　so　restless　that；　unable　to　carry　her

a　moment　longer；　he　thought　to　lay　her　on　the　grass。　　But　she　stood

upright　on　her　feet。　　Her　hood　had　dropped；　and　her　hair　fell　about　her。　

The　first　gleam　of　the　morning　was　caught　on　her　face：　　that　face

was　bright　as　the　never…aging　Dawn；　and　her　eyes　were　lovely　as　the

sky　of　darkest　blue。　　The　prince　recoiled　in　overmastering　wonder。　

It　was　Daylight　herself　whom　he　had　brought　from　the　forest！　

He　fell　at　her　feet；　nor　dared　to　look　up　until　she　laid　her　hand

upon　his　head。　　He　rose　then。



〃You　kissed　me　when　I　was　an　old　woman：　　there！　　I　kiss　you　when　I

am　a　young　princess；〃　murmured　Daylight。〃Is　that　the　sun　coming？〃







CHAPTER　XXIX



RUBY





THE　children　were　delighted　with　the　story；　and　made　many　amusing

remarks　upon　it。　　Mr。　R